“Vancouver Island University is hosting the B.C. Colleges’ Athletic Association provincials this weekend at the gym, and the competition is going to be intense.
“Most people think of badminton in the backyard, seeing how many times you can hit it back and forth,” said Megan Yim, VIU player. “Here it’s completely different. It’s a fast-paced game. Cutthroat.”
So Yim will try to summon the killer instinct necessary. It might be tricky – this is a young woman, after all, who declined a Nanaimo Sport Achievement Award in 2008, presenting her plaque to the runners-up.
On the court, Yim isn’t so gracious. She beat enough opponents in 2008 to win a provincial silver and a national bronze in singles competition and this time around she’s an experienced veteran leader.
“Megan’s strength is that she’s very quick and she can have a good offence,” said Janice Walker, VIU coach. “She can quickly jump on a bird that’s popped up weak, but first she’s got to generate that weak shot out of her opponent.”
It takes skill, it takes smart tactics and it takes a lot of energy.
“In singles it’s mostly about running around the court, making them work harder than you’re working and getting them behind on the rally,” Walker said.
Yim prefers doubles, she said, but is making the sacrifice because it’s in the best interests of the Mariners team. She’s ramped up her fitness training, but will need to go even harder this weekend.
“I need to really kick it into high gear and push every single muscle in my body,” she said.
The competition is daunting. Douglas College star Lynn Huang hasn’t lost a match in two years and may not be beatable this weekend. Yim thinks she can take a few points from Huang, but the primary goal will be a top-two finish which would mean another trip to the Canadian Colleges’ Athletic Association championships. That kind of playoff run is even more important this year, Yim’s fifth and final season in Mariners colours.
“It adds that much more pressure,” she said, extending her hands as far apart as she could. “I want to finish strong, I want to go to nationals one more time, I want to carry my team through. It’s so much more pressure but I think I’m up to it.”
COURT SHORTS … The BCCAA championships get underway Saturday (Feb. 20) at 11 a.m. at the VIU gym. Sunday’s action will start at 9 a.m
